Entertainment: 1990

Chapter 418 Premiere
September 21, 1994, afternoon.

The Guangming Cinema, the largest and newest cinema in Tianjin, celebrated its most glorious moment since its reopening in 91, with nearly a hundred celebrities invited to attend the premiere of "Sunshine".

Originally, Zhang Yan only had a red carpet laid out in front of the door, but later he saw that more than half of the entertainment reporters from Beijing had arrived, and almost all the reporters from Tianjin had come, and they swarmed around him.

So they temporarily set up two interview areas on either side of the red carpet with red satin, and specially assigned Jiang Wen to guard the entrance and instruct the celebrities on how to pose for photos on the red carpet.

Whether or not they agree to be interviewed is their own choice.

Ten years from now, these will be essential skills for becoming a star, but right now they are still a novelty, and only those who have participated in film festivals abroad know a little about them.

For example, Zhang Yimou and Gong Li.

The two walked arm in arm, seemingly in cahoots but actually quite distant, effortlessly completing their fashion show and interviews on the red carpet.

When they arrived in front of Jiang Wen, Zhang Yimou teased, "You're doing this quite formally. What's your target box office?"

"It'll cost at least 4800 million!"

Jiang Wen rattled off the number immediately, saying it came from the box office of "Farewell My Concubine" last year, which is also the highest-grossing non-patriotic film in recent times.

As for patriotic films...

Most of the screenings were organized by government agencies and organizations. Although the box office revenue was generally not low, it was not well-regarded within the industry.

Zhang Yimou nodded and said, "Your setup is indeed much bigger than Kaige's movie. I heard that song and dance troupes in various places are showing promotional videos?"

"It was all Zhang Yan's doing."

Jiang Wen had a "I didn't want this either" attitude: "We directors rely on our skills to make a living, but these investors just love to hype things up, forcing good art into clichés."

Zhang Yimou shared this sentiment. Recently, Zhang Weiping had been trying to collaborate with him, repeatedly mentioning the word "hype."

At this moment, Gong Li interjected, "Has Sister Xiaoqing arrived yet?"

"Uh~"

Jiang Wen's smug expression froze, then she pointed inside and said, "She's also an investor in this film, and she should be with Dong Ping and Wen Xie right now."

Gong Li tugged at Zhang Yimou, who readily agreed, "Then let's go in and take a look. See you later."

"See you."

Jiang Wen turned to watch them go, and noticed that after the two went inside, their arms, which had been linked, immediately separated. She couldn't help but shake her head inwardly.

When he was filming "Red Sorghum," he witnessed the two of them getting together, and at the time he never dared to imagine that they could stay together for seven years.

However, it seems that the two have finally reached the end.

This gave Jiang Wen the illusion that she was witnessing history.

Inside the movie theater.

"Gong Li!"

Gong Li had just parted ways with Zhang Yimou when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

She looked in the direction of the voice and her face lit up with surprise: "Wu Yujuan, you're here too?!"

However, upon seeing the person next to Wu Yujuan, her smile immediately faded.

Wu Yujuan greeted them warmly, smiling as she introduced them: "Luyao, you must know Gong Li, right? This is my friend Wang Luyao, she's currently pursuing her dream..."

"We've met before."

Gong Li casually interrupted Wu Yujuan's introduction, then directly changed the subject, asking, "How's the preparation for your movie going?"

"almost."

Wu Yujuan said with a beaming smile, "I've already prepared the crew, and we expect to start filming in November. Don't forget to make time for a cameo role then."

"That must be no problem."

Gong Li laughed and said, "It would be best to invite a few old classmates to make a cameo appearance—we haven't gotten together for a long time since we graduated in '89."

"If we could get everyone together, that would be the best!"

Wu Yujuan appeared very excited, but in reality, she didn't take it seriously at all.

The five beauties of yesteryear are now worlds apart, not to mention that Shi Ke still harbors a grudge against Gong Li—when Zhang Yimou was making "Red Sorghum," he first chose Shi Ke, and just as he was about to finalize the casting, Gong Li returned from outside the school.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with her old classmates, Gong Li noticed Zhang Yimou talking to Director Xie Jin ahead. She quickly apologized to Wu Yujuan and went up to greet Xie Jin. Once she was out of sight, Wu Yujuan's smile faded, and she asked, puzzled, "Lu Yao, do you and Gong Li have a conflict?"

"No."

Wang Luyao, who had been ignored for half a day, also felt confused, so she said irritably, "I did have a fight with the Hong Kong assistant director of 'The Conqueror of Chu,' but it can't be that Gong Li had an affair with him, can it?"

"Uh~"

Hearing Wang Luyao openly spread rumors about Gong Li, Wu Yujuan found it hard to accept—after all, that was Gong Li, a popular international film star at the time!
However, upon further reflection, although Wang Luyao herself cannot be compared with Gong Li, the resources she can leverage through Zhang Yan are far beyond what Gong Li, a mere actress, can match.

Thinking back to her boyfriend, who was only good at bragging and couldn't help at all, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly that it was true that comparing people was a recipe for disaster, and comparing goods was a recipe for disaster.

"Commander~"

Just then, a girl in a dance costume, revealing her snow-white shoulders, poked her head out of the screening room and called out, "The deputy troupe leader wants to talk to you about something!"

"understood."

Wang Luyao agreed and hurriedly left, leaving Wu Yujuan behind.

Seeing this, Wu Yujuan also prepared to move closer to Zhang Yimou, Xie Jin, and Gong Li.

However, her actions were clearly a step too late. In just a short while, a social circle led by the two famous directors had already formed over there.

Wu Yujuan circled around the area but couldn't find a gap to squeeze in.

I should have come with Gong Li.

Just as she was feeling frustrated, she suddenly noticed that everyone around her was turning in the same direction. She turned her head and saw that Zhang Yan and Chen Hong were leading the main cast and crew out from backstage.

This radiant newlywed couple was like two giant magnets, quickly drawing all attention to them.

Wu Yujuan also subconsciously wanted to move closer, but then she thought that her relationship with Zhang Yan was just so-so. When she asked him for help reviewing the script for the second time, he was obviously impatient.

If I take the initiative now and end up being rejected...

In that moment of hesitation, Zhang Yan and Chen Hong were surrounded by a dense crowd, and even Xie Jin and Zhang Yimou were drawn into the ever-expanding vortex.

Well, I'm already lucky to have gotten involved with Wang Luyao.

Wu Yujuan wisely chose to withdraw gracefully. Just as she was about to go to the screening room to take a look, she suddenly heard someone mutter "dog couple" under their breath.

She knew that voice all too well.

Wu Yujuan turned around in surprise and found that Gong Li was still standing there, her eyes filled with undisguised hostility as she looked at Zhang Yan and Chen Hong.

what happened?

Does Gong Li have a grudge against President Zhang?
If that's the case, it explains why Gong Li was so cold and indifferent to Wang Luyao.

Wu Yujuan was immediately conflicted. Her most important connections in the industry were Gong Li and Wang Luyao [Zhang Yan]. If the two sides got into a conflict, which side should she take?

"Hey, Sister Yujuan, what are you doing at the door?"

Just then, Wang Luyao's voice came from behind.

Wu Yujuan quickly turned around with a smile: "It's nothing, are you done with your work?"

"Little things."

Wang Luyao said dismissively, "They've all just graduated and still think they're in school. They want to find adults to solve their problems whenever they encounter one. I scolded them a bit and told them to figure it out themselves."

Wu Yujuan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and suddenly felt that she didn't recognize Wang Luyao anymore.

Three years ago, when I took her to audition for the TV series "Hair Messed Up," she was still a nobody who needed my help as her older sister. Who could have imagined that in just three years...

"what happened to you?"

Seeing that she seemed dazed, Wang Luyao gently nudged her shoulder.

"nothing."

Wu Yujuan snapped out of her daze, took Wang Luyao's arm, and whispered, "Gong Li seems to be targeting not only you, but also President Zhang and President Chen."

Upon closer reflection, choosing sides isn't actually that difficult, since Gong Li is at most making a cameo appearance and doing some promotion along the way.

But Yuanmeng can offer much more; even just the resources that Wang Luyao can mobilize are far beyond what Gong Li can match.

(End of this chapter)